


Unplanned Tourism

by FuryTigresse



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Books, Devil May Cry 5 Spoilers, Dysfunctional Family, Established Father-Son Relationship, Family, Family Bonding, Gen, Happy Ending, Light Angst, Post Devil May Cry 5, Post-Game(s), Tourism, just making it clear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-05
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-08 11:40:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19106368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuryTigresse/pseuds/FuryTigresse
Summary: [Spoilers for Devil May Cry 5] Portals aren't as easy to make as they seem to be. The Sparda family learns it the hard way when they use a portal to reach a mission, only to be stuck there once they're done with it. As it will take Nico a few days to come and get them, Dante, Nero and Vergil decide to get some definitely unplanned tourism on the go.But of course, nothing is that easy with the Sparda family.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Wuuuut?! A chaptered fic?! Yes. It didn't feel proper to not separate this into chapters :p
> 
> Again, this isn't part of any series. I guess it _could_ happen after _Brotherly Bonding_ if you want it to, but really, it's meant to be its own thing. Dante and Vergil came back from Hell, got shit from Nero, but eventually everything settled and now they're mostly working together.
> 
> As usual, my first language isn't English and I type pretty quickly, so feel free to let me know if you spot typos and/or weird sentences :) Also let me know if you find weird formatting. I tried fixing it, but AO3 has trouble with Google Docs formatting :(

There was no doubt in Vergil's mind that it was a great day outside, perfect for some outdoors reading. There was no wind to annoy him by turning the pages, and the sunny moments were interrupted now and then by the occasional cloud, allowing him to not have to squint at his book. Pale blue eyes weren't the best with bright light, after all. The temperature wasn't cold, but definitely cool, just enough that he could wear his favorite clothes comfortably. Humans apparently found it a bit too cold to sit outside for no reason, seeing as it was winter-cold, but this posed Vergil no problem. Winter was his favorite season, and even if it was still fall, it felt almost like winter. So yes, it was indeed a perfect day to read outside.

Which was exactly why Dante had accepted a big job in _another country_ , a job that would also require Nero's help to do the hunting, and his own to get them there since nobody had a passport. Great. Just great. He had the worst luck ever.

"Well, are you ready?" Vergil growled, the Yamato in hand. Since his perfect reading day had been robbed from him, he had decided that he'd participate in the hunt too. A bit of demon-killing would get his mood right back up.  
"Yeah, just need Dante to get his ass down here," Nero grumbled, sitting on the couch at Devil May Cry. "Hey, Dante! The hell's taking you so long?"  
"I gotta find Balrog first! I can't remember where I put that thing. Gimme a minute!" Dante shouted back.

Father and son exchanged a glance, then Vergil unsheathed the Yamato with a loud, sinister hiss of metal against metal.

"We're leaving," he announced, slashing the air and creating the portal.

They heard footsteps from upstairs, and then Dante jumped down all the stairs in one go, Devil Arm in hand.

"Wait for me! Geez, you guys are definitely related. Impatient dumbasses."  
"We've been waiting for ten minutes! Let's go!" the youngest Devil Hunter growled at him.  
"Get into the portal," Vergil ordered.

That stopped them right there and then, and they went through the portal. When they emerged on the other side, it was way below freezing temperature and they were stepping in a foot of snow. Nero's teeth immediately started chattering, his entire body shivering.

"W-what the f-f-f-fuck, w-why is it s-s-so cold?!"  
"Oh, didn't I tell ya? Our mission's in Canada today," Dante said, casual as ever, the cold not bothering him. "Didn't expect so much snow in November though."  
"T-t-the hell, Dante?! No you d-didn't!"  
"I told Vergil though. Guess I forgot to tell ya."

They headed for the mission anyway, Nero eventually using the Red Queen to warm up. His fingers and toes were still frozen, but the rest of him felt pretty toasty, pretty quickly. He raised a brow when they arrived at their destination though. The building was decently big, and it had a particular kind of architecture. It was actually pretty impressive.

"Riiiiight. That's definitely some kind of church. Even I can feel the demonic presence in there. Our mission's in this place?"  
"Yeah. According to the city's administration, there's been several accidents in the past year, things that really shouldn't be happening because the building is well-maintained. They were forced to close it for now and get it inspected, but someone there used that time to contact me and see if we can do something about it. Of course, this mission is entirely confidential. People here don't want to look like they believe in demons," Dante explained. "Which is fine by me. This gig is paid in cash, up front. And believe me, the amount is pretty insane. I did tell 'em I don't have a passport."  
"They are ready to spend quite the coin to protect their dear _Oratoire Saint-Joseph_ ," Vergil huffed with disdain.

That got him a look from both brother and son. He quirked an eyebrow at them.

"What?"  
"Their dear _what_?" Nero asked.  
" _Oratoire Saint-Joseph_ , or Saint Joseph Oratory, if you prefer. Don't tell me you have no idea what this place is?"

Nero shrugged as he got closer to the building, ignoring the many "DANGER" signs all over the place. He jumped over the cheap, temporary metallic fence, followed by the twins.

"Whatever it's called, it's some kinda church. Old and boring. That's all I need to know," he laughed, heading for the side door.

It was unlocked, luckily, and they went inside without any trouble. It was very dark in there, all lights off, but it was warmer than outside and Nero breathed out a sigh of relief. The Red Queen was providing just enough light that they could all see pretty well despite the darkness.

"I can't pinpoint the energy," the young Devil Hunter grumbled. "It feels like it's all over the building."  
"Follow me," Vergil said.

Nero and Dante looked at each other, but followed the older twin without complaining. Vergil was used to demonic energies. It wasn't surprising that he had a better understanding of this energy's structure and source.

A few minutes later, they were on the top floor. They crossed glass doors, and ended up in a gigantic room. Rows upon rows of pews stood around them, and each of their steps felt very quiet. The room was so big that it practically absorbed sound. Nero looked up, and noticed a very particular pattern in the ceiling. That probably helped keeping things quiet in there. The young Devil Hunter looked back, and saw a huge organ at the back. That thing probably pumped some massive notes when used. Everything in this place reminded him of all the nonsense people had tried to ram into his head in his life.

"Careful, kid," Dante spoke in a low voice, his hand landing on Nero's arm to hold him back. He pointed towards the sanctuary.

There was a woman kneeling there, her back facing them. She seemed frail, fragile, and Nero had a frown. What was a woman doing in here? He was about to say something, but she got up and faced them. Her traits were young and sweet. She extended a hand towards them, smile on her lips.

"Welcome. This is a place of prayer and self-reflection, where one can-"

She suddenly stopped and looked down, her smile vanishing. Several glowing blue swords were now firmly planted into her chest. She opened her mouth to scream, but Vergil was on her before she could. He pulled out the Yamato and decapitated her in one smooth motion. Nero was about to yell at him, to ask him what the fuck he was doing. However, he saw the head that rolled off, and had a shiver when he noticed that the youthful face was now replaced by the one of some kind of horrifying monster.

"Ooookay. That was creepy," he breathed out with a disgusted expression.

He could feel the net of energy thinning out around them, and through it he could now feel several different demons, spread all over the building. Vergil made sure to clean his blade before he sheathed it, turning to face them.

"This demon was the main source of the concealing energy. We can now properly search the oratory."  
"Then it's hunting time!" Dante exclaimed, excited. "Let's get it done!"

The older twin's hand grabbed his arm before he could run off. Vergil raised a brow at him.

"No destroying this place. I will _not_ help you pay off any property destruction that could occur."  
"Aww, Vergil, come on! I wasn't gonna wreck this place."  
"And demons fly out of my ass," Nero huffed. "Let's go."

Vergil let go of Dante, and soon enough the three of them were scattered around the place and hunting demons. It had become a challenge without anyone saying it, and when they joined back in the entrance, an hour later, they were all carrying the heads of the demons they had killed. Dante pouted when he saw that he was in last place, almost equal to Nero, but far behind Vergil.

"You cheated!" he accused his brother half-heartedly.  
"I did _not_. Unlike you, I'm more than capable of handling demons without destroying everything around me," Vergil retorted.  
"Let's go, you two. I'm fucking freezing in here," Nero complained, warming his hands using the Red Queen's blade.

The twins nodded, and they all headed out. Some kind of blizzard had started outside, and Nero growled as the biting frost got his skin.

"Fucking hell. I don't think I like Canada."  
"Eh, it's pretty nice weather," Dante laughed. "King Cerberus makes much colder temperatures than this."

He turned towards Vergil, who was frowning at the Yamato.

"Vergil? We goin' home?"

The older twin sheathed his blade and shook his head.

"It seems that we are not. Not like this, in any case."  
" _WHAT?_ What do you _mean_ we're not?!" Nero exploded. "Stop fucking around and-"  
"The barrier between worlds is too thick," Vergil explained. "I cannot make portals from this place."

Dante gently hit the side of his fist into his other palm, raising his brows.

"Aaah, gotcha. That's what you meant when you said that places like Fortuna are easier to make portals from. You need the barrier between here and the Underworld to be thinner to do this shit easily since you use Hell's energy to create the portal."  
"I'm surprised you remembered that."  
"It wasn't like we had much to do in Hell except talk about this shit. I also remember that, once you make a portal, it can lead you anywhere, is that ri-"  
"Hey, assholes, I'm _freezing_! Can we get out of this stupid blizzard before I become a fucking popsicle?!"

The twins both looked at Nero. Right. He had more human blood than they did. Time to head elsewhere if they didn't want him to get sick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was pointed out to me in the comments that the portal explanation makes little sense, and I apologize for this! I edited the chapter a bit to try and make my thoughts clearer. I hope it's okay with you guys :)


	2. Chapter 2

"So, what you're saying is basically that we're stuck here, right?"

Vergil nodded slowly at Nero's statement, taking a sip of burning hot green tea, content now that they were sitting in a nearby Tim Hortons. The cold might not affect him much, that didn't mean he enjoyed that kind of winter. The Yamato was by his side, hidden as a silvery cane. He had cast a similar spell to Nero's weapons, except that he had turned them invisible to the human eye instead of disguising them as something else. Swords and guns weren't exactly well seen in Canada.

"That's right."  
"Until Nico comes and gets us, at least. You got ahold of her, kid?" Dante asked.  
"The Wi-Fi fucking sucks in this place, but I managed to send her an email. We'll see how long it takes for her to see it."

He put his brand new smartphone down on the table and sat back with a sigh, taking his cup of hot cocoa and warming his hands on it.

"So, let me get this straight. We can't go home the usual way. We also can't rent a car because there's no way we'll be able to bring it back. Buying one is out of price, and so is taking the taxi. Anyway, we don't have passports, so we couldn't cross the border. Now that I think about it, how is it gonna be different if Nico gets us? We still don't have passports."  
"I was thinking that your old man could warp us home once we find a place where he can do so," Dante answered. "We just need Nico to show up."  
"I hope _she_ has a passport."

The younger twin laughed a little and finished his coffee in one big gulp. He sat back with a pleased hum after that.

"Well, either way you look at it, we're here for a little while, maybe a few days, so. Vergil! You'll be our official translator."

That got him a blizzard-cold glare from his brother.

"No."  
"Aw, c'mon! You speak French!"  
"This is Canada, not France. Plus, this city's inhabitants are smarter than you, Dante. They know English as well."  
"Not all of them! The guy at the counter didn't."  
"Most do."

Nero grabbed his phone when he heard it vibrate, and he sighed in relief after a minute.

"Nico's leaving tomorrow morning! It's gonna take her a few days to get here."  
"That settles it. Let's explore this city!" the Legendary Devil Hunter said with a little fist pump.

Vergil downed the rest of his tea, sighed deeply, and reluctantly accepted following his brother and his son around town.

***

Their first stop was the mall, as Nero needed a much thicker coat to not get sick. He could warm up for a little while with his demonic power, but he couldn't use that for long. Dante winced when he saw the price tag on some of the coats in the first store they entered.

"Ouch. Why is that shit so _expensive_?"  
"We have the money from the contract," Vergil sighed. "Just pay for it."  
"Don't get me wrong, Nero, you're a _great_ nephew, but damn. Do you really need a four hundred dollars coat?"  
"Whatever, just get a cheap one, as long as it keeps me warm," the Devil Hunter said with a shrug. "Take it outta my cut, if you're gonna start bitching about it."  
"I wasn't- look, I'm buying you this winter coat, but you better take care of it. Don't put your sword right against it when you just used Exceed, it's gonna damage the material."

Despite Dante's decision, he still complained about the price of the coat right until he had paid for it. Nero then put it on and snuggled into it with a sigh of relief. He hadn't been able to really warm himself up after stepping out into the blizzard, even with the hot drink he had taken.

"That feels great," he mumbled, putting the hood on, warming his ears up. "Thanks, Dante."

The younger twin offered him a smile.

"Take care of it, kid. That's all I ask."

He then turned towards Vergil, who was eyeing a bookstore not too far away.

"We can go there if you'd like, brother," he said.

Vergil had a little "hmm?" as he looked at Dante, who just smiled.

"The bookstore. Wanna stop there?"  
"I would... appreciate it."  
"Okay, then let's go."

They went to the bookstore, ignoring the curious glances that were thrown their way. They weren't exactly incognito, with their white hair and icy blue eyes. Plus, the twins were wearing pretty flashy coats, and Vergil had a beautiful silvery cane. If they wanted to not be noticed, this was certainly not the way to go about it. They were used to it, but still. They were in a different place, somewhere they weren't used to. It didn't feel the same as usual.

"So, what kinda book are you looking for?" Nero asked his father, curious, now that he had mostly stopped shivering.

He only got a shrug in return, and he frowned a bit. Sheesh.

"Don't wanna tell me?"  
"No, I am simply browsing the inventory. I'll see what piques my interest."

He headed towards a stand with what seemed to be best-sellers, and picked up a book almost immediately. Nero stretched a bit to see the title. _L'énigme du retour_.

"You can read this? Dante mentioned that you speak French."  
" _The Enigma of the Return_. Yes, I can read this."  
"Where did you learn French?"  
"Here and there. Many books written in French are delightful, but quite horrendous once translated. I could say the same for any language, but French happened to be one that piqued my curiosity when I was younger."

Nero looked at his father, studied his expression. There wasn't much there, as usual. But his words were definitely making him interested. Vergil so rarely talked about his past.

"I see. I thought maybe you would have liked learning, I dunno, Italian."

Vergil shot him a side glance, accompanied with a raised eyebrow.

"Italian. Why? Because my brother only eats pizza?"  
"No, not for that! But, you know. Vergil. Dante. Wasn't there an Italian story or poem or something that-"  
" _La Divina Commedia_. No, I wasn't interested in learning Italian."

He looked back at the book with a frown, and Nero grinned.

"Because the guy who wrote it was named Dante?"  
"Don't be ridiculous."

That was totally why. Nero chose not to say anything, but he was deeply amused. He watched as his father kept the book he had chosen, and picked up another one. _L'Histoire de Pi_ , Nero could see on the cover. He grabbed his phone, mentally thanked the store for having Wi-Fi, and typed the title in Google. Apparently it translated to _Life of Pi_.

" _Life of Pi_? Is that a good book?" he asked, looking at his father.  
"It is acceptable."  
"Meaning, coming from you: it's good."  
"I suppose you can say that. I have never read the original text of it."

He put it back down, since he had already read it, albeit in English, and Nero kept following him around the store, curious to see what his father would buy. Dante was off somewhere else in the store, maybe in the comics section, Nero wasn't sure and he didn't really care. His uncle could do whatever he wanted, as long as he wasn't just heading off with their money. Now that he was thinking about it, maybe they should have left the money with Vergil instead. Less risky.

"This one looks good," Nero said, picking a book up.  
" _Les Empereurs-Mages: Le souffle du dragon,_ is it? Nero, that's a book for teens."  
"It still looks good. The cover is pretty funky."

Vergil shook his head, heading further away and picking another book. Nero followed him there too.

"I remember this one," the half-demon muttered.  
"What is it?"  
" _L'Étranger_ , by Albert Camus, a French writer. I recall it being... disturbing to read."  
"Disturbing, uh? How so?"  
"The main character doesn't seem capable of feeling emotions for most of the story."  
"You mean like you?"

Vergil slowly turned to glare at him.

"I am fully capable of feeling annoyed."  
"Sorry, it was too easy."

He stopped teasing him after that, and went to look at other books, leaving his father alone.


	3. Chapter 3

They emerged from the store a good hour later with ten books and a bit less money. Vergil had used this trip to gather books he couldn't find in other bookstores back home. Dante had bought one book - a pocket-sized French-English dictionary - and he had immediately given it to Nero with a shit-eating grin.

"Here, in case you get lost," he had said.

Nero had almost punched him right there and then, but he had contained himself. His uncle did buy him a winter coat. He had reluctantly taken the dictionary and put it in his coat's inner pocket. They had walked out in, luckily, a more clement weather, and Nero had looked at the book he had gotten for himself. It was a touristic guide for Montreal, the city they were in.

"According to the guide, there's this place called Old Montreal where you practically feel like you're in Europe because of the architecture," he told them. "Since we're stuck here for a few days, should we go check it out eventually?"  
"Sure. There's Notre-Dame Basilica in there, right?" Dante asked.  
" _Another_ church? Are you serious?"  
"Or we can go to Mount Royal, I suppose, but I'm not sure how icy the trails are around the park."  
"You sound like you've been here before."  
"I haven't, but I asked the clerk back at the bookstore what's good to see around here. There are a few museums, and there's also the underground city."

Now _that_ sounded interesting.

"Underground city?"  
"This place has a full network of heated tunnels with tons of shops, and-"  
"Heated? We're going there."

He had no idea where they could enter this place from, but he was hoping that Dante had asked. Unfortunately, his uncle had been more interested in flirting with the clerk, apparently, and he had no idea where to go. It made Vergil sigh as he walked towards a woman who seemed to know where she was going.

"Excusez-moi." [Excuse me.]

The woman stopped and spun around, looking very intimidated the moment her eyes landed on Vergil. Nero certainly couldn't blame her.

"Nous cherchons à nous rendre dans la ville souterraine. Pourriez-vous nous indiquer l'entrée la plus près, s'il vous plaît?" Vergil asked, voice cold but polite. [We're looking to reach the underground city. Could you please point us to the nearest entry point?]

The woman stuttered an answer, her cheeks bright red, and not just because of the cold. Vergil offered her a small nod.

"Je vous remercie." [Thank you.]

He walked back towards Dante and Nero. The former had a little smirk on.

"That was some pretty intense French you threw at her. Don't you ever use slang?"  
"What? No."  
"Wait, you got that, Dante?" Nero asked, frowning.

Dante laughed.

"Nah, but you heard her too, right? What she said didn't even _sound_ like French. Anyway, Vergil, where we goin'?"

The older twin started walking.

"There's an entry point just over there through the metro station."

They were back in a heated place a few minutes later, and Nero sighed in relief. He grabbed his phone.

"Damn it, no Wi-Fi," he sighed.  
"What were you trying to search?" Dante asked.  
"What the temperature will be tomorrow, and if there's any kind of hotel around here where we can crash for the night. I am _not_ sleeping outside in this cold."  
"Yeah, I get ya. Doesn't help that if Vergil could get us out of here, we'd be somewhere much warmer."

Vergil stopped walking, his grip tight on the Yamato, his bag of books in the other hand. He glared at his brother.

"Do you believe I _want_ to be here, Dante?"

His voice was almost as cold as the temperature outside, and Dante felt his inner devil stir. Vergil's tone was making him want to fight. He also didn't know what to answer to that. Apologizing would be admitting that he had gone too far, but he also didn't want to add fuel to the fire. He could see Nero on the side, ready to throw caution out the window and stop them with his demonic arms if he needed to.

"Go on and be _tourists_ without me. I'll find you once Nicoletta has arrived," Vergil hissed.

Before they could stop him, he had gone back outside with just his books and his sword. Nero wanted to run after him, but he knew it would be a terrible idea. He still shot his uncle a hard glare, and Dante sighed.

"Sorry, kid. I don't- I didn't try to piss him off on purpose."  
"Good fucking job."  
"Look, I'm sorry. It's just a thing, with us. You put the two of us in the same place for too long, and this shit happens."  
"You just couldn't keep your fucking mouth shut, right?"

Dante shook his head. Nero had the right to be angry at him. He was _really_ trying to not fuck up this whole thing they had with Vergil, but sometimes he just couldn't help it. He wasn't sure if he could really blame his inner demon for that.

"I'm sorry," he repeated.

Nero looked hurt, but he offered him a slight nod.

"He'll come back, right?"  
"Yeah. Not like he has much of a choice. The Yamato won't do much for him right now."

Except if he split himself in two again, but Dante kept that thought to himself. He doubted Vergil was stupid enough to do that. Or, well, he _hoped_ Vergil wasn't stupid enough to do that.

"Let's go and make tourists of ourselves, okay, kid?"

The younger Devil Hunter nodded, expression tight, his lips drawn into a thin line. Okay.

***

They spent the first day roaming the underground city, not buying much, but exploring and seeing what this place had to offer. There was plenty to keep them busy, and they didn't notice the time until the stores started closing. Nero stretched with a yawn, tired both physically and emotionally.

"We need a place to sleep."  
"Yeah. Somewhere heated. Hey, there's a café with Wi-Fi over there. Let's use your phone and find out what's around here."

They went to the café and ordered something before they sat, and Nero pulled his phone out. A quick research gave him a few results. He called the closest place, hoping they could speak English. Luckily they did, and he inquired about the availability and the price for a room with two beds. He was pretty sure neither of them wanted to sleep in the same bed as the other.

"We're going there. It's pretty cheap, but we don't need much anyway," he said as he hung up.  
"Okay. Let's go, then, kid."

The walk there was heavy and quiet, and Nero spun around every time he saw white hair. He eventually stopped looking around, and he just walked faster towards the hotel.

They got a room pretty quickly once there - winter wasn't a busy season, luckily, so there were plenty of rooms available - and Nero sighed as he sat on the bed he'd use for the night.

"You're sure he's gonna come back?" he asked, voice low and worried.  
"Yeah. Your old man's an adult, Nero. Don't worry too much about him," Dante reassured him before he went to take a shower.

Nero groaned and took his weapons off, putting them aside, not too far from his bed. He had no indication that the spell on them was still working, except for the fact that nobody had made any remark about them, so he hoped everything was all right. He didn't want to get an accidental criminal record just because they hadn't planned that they couldn't make a portal back home.

He really hoped his father was all right. As much as the man was a dick sometimes, he was still his father. Their relationship was doing... well, not perfectly, but it was all right. Nero had mostly forgiven him for twisting his arm off. Months of working together did that. And it helped that Vergil had helped him out several times, whenever he had asked him for it. It was because he had been the one asking that Vergil had accepted warping them to this mission, actually. Nero had been kept in the dark as to where exactly they were going, but Dante had told him just enough that he'd know they absolutely needed Vergil's help. And since the older twin would probably refuse doing Dante any favor, Nero had been the one to request the man's help.

"I'm done with my shower. Go and take one, kid. You gotta warm up," Dante said as he walked out of the shower with just his pants on and a towel around his neck.

Nero barely registered Dante's words, but he still went to take a shower. He got undressed, then let the hot water run on his skin. He felt a bit better afterwards, and he only got his pants on before he walked out, doing just like his uncle. He went on "his" bed and got underneath the blankets.

"I'm gonna sleep," he muttered, closing his eyes.  
"Okay. Good night, kid."

He closed his eyes after that, and was soon overtaken by a dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could have put the translation in the end notes, but I personally hate needing to scroll just to understand things, so I put them right in there. Hopefully that's fine with you :)


	4. Chapter 4

Nero put his phone back in his pocket after he read the last email Nico had sent him. He looked at Dante, who was busy examining some kind of tropical plant.

"Nico's almost there. She says she's gonna be here in two hours or so. Should I give her this place's address? Are we still gonna be around here in two hours?"

Dante hummed thoughtfully. It was their fourth day in Montreal, and they had definitely used this time to discover everything the city had to offer. From Notre-Dame Basilica in Old Montreal, to the icy trails of Mount Royal Park, and even Space for Life, where they currently were, they had explored a lot of the city. They both weren't really the touristic type, but it was either that or dying of boredom in their hotel room. Plus, they had needed to buy a cable to charge Nero's phone, since it was their only means of communication with Nico, and they had decided that they might as well look around while they were there.

"Yeah. Yeah, we'll still be around here. You prefer warm places, right?"

Nero wiped the sweat off his forehead. The greenhouses of the Botanical Garden were definitely a big change from the freezing cold of the outside.

"Yeah. I like this better."

He emailed Nico back and gave her the address, glad that most touristic places had free Wi-Fi. He then put his phone to sleep mode and stared at the black screen for a few seconds.

"Wanna go look for your old man? I'll stay here and wait for you guys," Dante suggested.

Nero's eyes went right up, and he noticed his uncle's expression.

"Finally feeling guilty?"  
"I guess you could say that. Don't tell Vergil."  
"Whatever. I'll try and look for him."

He walked out, and Dante had a little smile. He went back to the entrance and walked to the counter.

"Scusez-moi madame, j'ai quelqu'un qui va me ramasser dans genre, deux heures. C'est-tu correct si on utilise le stationnement temporairement? J'sais que c'est payant, normalement, mais on va rester là juste quelques minutes, gros max," Dante asked with a perfect French Canadian accent. [Scuse me madam, someone's gonna pick me up in like, two hours. Is it okay if we temporarily use the parking? I know we usually need to pay, but we're gonna stay there a few minutes max.]

He offered the lady a grin, and he saw her cheeks redden visibly. Using his demonic charm on human women never got old.

"Si vous restez juste quelques minutes, je pense que c'est correct, monsieur," she replied with a bashful smile. [I think it's all right if you only stay for a few minutes, sir.]  
"Merci, madame. Vous êtes un ange," Dante thanked her with a wink, making the woman blush even more. [Thanks, madam. You're an angel.]

He then went back to the greenhouses and starting touring them, a smile on his lips. At least they wouldn't have to pay the parking fee when Nico would show up, if Nero hadn't found Vergil before then.

Needless to let anyone know that he always knew more than he let on.

***

Meanwhile, Nero had chosen to first try more mundane methods to try finding his father, starting with going to the Saint Joseph Oratory via the metro. He got off at Côte-Des-Neiges, then walked to the oratory. He focused once he was close enough. He couldn't feel any demonic energy from there, and he _knew_ his father always emitted some, enough that even Nero could feel his presence. But he wasn't in there, apparently, so Nero walked to the mall and headed for the same bookstore as before. He used his little dictionary to ask the clerk - who didn't speak English, just to make his life harder - if he had seen a man with a dark coat, white hair and a silvery cane. He would have gladly used something like Google Translate instead, but he didn't trust this thing to not say something stupid.

Unfortunately, the clerk hadn't seen anyone like that, at least not that day, so Nero awkwardly thanked him with a disappointed sigh before he headed to the underground city. He highly doubted his father was there, and he doubted even more that he'd be able to find him in the 32 kilometers of tunnels, but it was worth a shot. There were bookstores in there too, and with some luck, he'd be able to find Vergil in one of them.

He gave up after an hour, and grumbled his way to the surface. Once outside, he decided that he was pretty tired of searching. Time to use less mundane methods.

A little while later, he was on top of the tallest building he could find, the 1000 de la Gauchetière. The narrow roof of it wasn't ideal, with the cold wind whipping him and the ice covering its surface, but Nero was pretty desperate. He focused a bit, and his eyes turned yellow.

"HEY ASSHOLE!" he shouted with a very loud distorted voice as he activated his Devil Trigger. "GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE, WE'RE LEAVING!"

He then used his demonic power to charge up the Blue Rose, and he shot high in the sky, accompanying the bullets with Summoned Swords. It seemed futile, and he doubted any human would really notice him doing that, except maybe the ones directly at the bottom of the building, and maybe those inside of it. However, he was making sure to release as much demonic energy as he could, while shooting a few times, hoping that it would attract his father. He could only maintain this state for a few minutes at the most. He hoped it would be enough. He had no other way to let him know where he was.

He let go of everything after a little while, and he fell on his knees on the roof, panting, completely frozen and exhausted. Vergil was nowhere in sight.

"Fucking- damn it."

He struggled as he got up, breathing hard. Time to head back to Dante's side, then, and hope Vergil would find them.

***

He found Dante sitting at the entrance hall of the Botanical Garden, reading a magazine about plants. His uncle put the magazine away the moment he spotted him, and he got up with a little frown on his face.

"Vergil's not with you?"  
"No. I tried-"  
"Yeah, I know that part. I felt it even from here. He sure is a stubborn dumbass."  
"Who is?" a familiar voice asked.

They both turned, and Nero couldn't help a tired smile when he saw Nico making her way towards them. She was wearing appropriate clothes for the temperature outside, at least. Nero had almost expected her to show up in her usual shorts and cowgirl boots.

"Hey, Nico. Glad to see you didn't kill yourself on the way here."  
"Well I almost did! The roads here are _terrible_ , I tell ya. Let's go."  
"Wait, we can't go just yet. My father-"  
"Don't lose your tits! He's already got his ass in the car."  
"What?!"

Nico walked right back out, and both Dante and Nero hurried to follow her. They reached the van, which was parked in the worst kind of way, right on top of a line. Nero barely contained a snarky comment about the inventor's driving skills. She was already kind enough to come and get them. Once inside the van, they found Vergil at his usual spot at the table, a book in hand, the Yamato - not disguised as a cane anymore - by his side. He didn't even bother glancing up when the others got into the van.

"You- you fucking asshole!" Nero growled the moment he saw him. "Why are you just- sitting here, acting like nothing happened?!"  
"He's been there for more than a full day, actually," Nico laughed as she got behind the wheel. "He found me when I stopped for the night on my way here."  
"What?!"  
"Glowing 'Devil May Cry' neons are easy to see," Vergil explained with a sigh, turning the page of his book. "Especially from the sky."

Dante hit the side of his fist into his palm with a soft "aaaaah". He went and sat on the couch, getting comfortable.

"I getcha. You used Sin Devil Trigger to get out of the city and find her. No idea how you knew where to even start looking for her, but that's great."

Vergil didn't reply, and Nero all but collapsed into the passenger seat, trying to hide his expression. Nico started the car and got to the road. They drove in silence for a few minutes before Nero got up.

"I'll go get a drink," he mumbled.  
"Hold on tight, asshole! I tell ya, the roads here are terrible for the shocks!" Nico warned him.  
"Yeah, yeah."

He managed to reach the mini-fridge without any trouble, but they hit a pretty sizeable pothole as he made his way back. The entire van jumped, making Nero hit his head on the ceiling. He felt himself falling, dizzy from it and from the exhaustion, but he suddenly stopped, something holding him up around his chest. It took him a few seconds to notice what it was.

"She said to be careful. Considering your current state, that warning is valid," he heard his father's cold voice scolding him.  
"Fuck off," he muttered. "And since when can you get your tail out without fully Triggering?"

Vergil had a little smile as he used his tail to put Nero back into an upright position. He then gently pushed him towards the second chair, where Nero gladly sat, unwilling to try and reach the passenger seat right now.

"I couldn't let my son beat me at this."  
"Uh?"  
"Your wings."  
"Oh. Well, whatever. It's not like they were much use earlier, when..."

He stopped himself right there. Admitting he had tried finding Vergil would make him sound weak. But his father put his book down, and Nero found himself staring into Vergil's icy eyes.

"Your wings would have been enough, earlier. Don't exhaust yourself like that again."  
"Wait, just my wings? But they're not- they don't-"  
"I would have felt them."

There was certitude in Vergil's voice, the certitude that he would have felt Nero's presence even with just a tiny bit of demonic power from him. Did that mean what he thought it meant? Was his father... was his father really...

"You can't feel such a small amount of demonic power without focusing and knowing what to look for, right?" he asked, voice low and hopeful.

Vergil didn't answer, but he went straight back to his book. Nero glanced at the cover, curious, and a smile appeared on his lips.

"Wasn't that a book for kids?" he teased.

The half-demon turned the book, looking at the illustrated cover. _Les Empereurs-Mages: Le souffle du dragon_.

"It's acceptable," Vergil answered.

Nero grinned, and took a sip of his drink. Things may not have gone as smoothly as they were supposed to, but he definitely wasn't too upset about it.

Time to head home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much Vergil-with-tail fanart going around on Tumblr, I had to give it a little nod here. Also, Vergil is always looking out for Nero's presence. I hope you enjoyed this story!


End file.
